RUTH MILNE & MATT BRUMBY
Tool storage was meant to be a part of this couple’s bespoke office space in their garden, until the build was finished and the lawn mower had to go elsewhere
As I’m an architect and Ruth is an interior designer, we often collaborate on projects, so after years of Ruth working in the spare room, we started thinking about a shared office space. We need to have all our samples to hand so hot-desking was not an option and renting a place just wasn’t affordable – but we did have space in the garden.
We could probably have bought something cheaper off the peg, but the joy of this office is that we could design it sustainably and to suit our requirements and the dimensions of the garden.
Early on, we decided that this would only be used as an office, not a multi-function garden room. Having that clarity meant we could design it specifically for that purpose. The large picture window was specifically planned with desks in mind so we can work while looking out over the garden, and the joinery wall provides ample storage for all our materials and books.
Alongside the office function, we had originally planned for around a quarter of the space to be used as a tool store. While we have hidden some power tools in the cupboards, we decided it was far too beautiful to fill with old lawn mowers so these now live in a separate shed, and we use the extra space as an exercise studio.
The exterior larch cladding will silver with age and it works well with the garden setting. Inside, the main feature is the birch ply – it has a beautiful grain. The flooring is Forbo’s ‘Marmoleum Cocoa’ in ‘White Chocolate’, which is made from waste cocoa shells.
Neither of us has ever worked in such a pleasant environment before. Our Victorian house is inherently cold and draughty but this is built to the spec of a new build. With good insulation and ventilation, a huge window and roof light (found on Ebay), it feels much more comfortable in there than it does in the house. It’s now our favourite space. studiomilne.co.uk; penningtonphillips.co.uk
‘THE WINDOW WAS PLANNED WITH DESKS IN MIND, SO WE CAN
LOOK OUT OVER THE GARDEN’